Greeny News

Taking pictures of ancient trees allows us to share and document their connection to our past – and preserve their place in our future

• Send your photos of old trees on our Flickr group

In the small village of Tolpuddle Dorset there is a plane tree on a green area, just a short walk from a pub. This gnarled old tree is a major player in an engrossing story. It is here that a group of farm workers to demands for better pay, in fact, creating the first union to discuss. The rest is history. Already more than 150 years old when the workers met under this tree in the 1830s, it 's still going strong with plenty of help.

Old trees with rich histories can be found throughout Britain. They are the silent witnesses of the history of these islands which we live.

But as we know, what is an old tree? An old tree is one that is very old in comparison to other trees of the same species. There is no strict definition to what age of a tree it must be as old, but a 600-year-old oak and beech 300-year-old would come into question. Yews can live for several thousand years, and oak and chestnut for 1,000 years or more.

Of the symbolic and beloved to the majestic oak beech trees connect us to our past and are preserved here for future generations. They have provided us with shelter available and played a key role in supplying the growing military and fueling the industrial revolution.

The National Trust is currently carrying out an audit of all its ancient trees, thought to number around 40,000 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This data will then be fed into the Ancient Tree Hunt which will provide us with, for the first time ever, a clear picture of where these titans of nature can be found.